An image processing device comprising: a determination section that, based on a factor defining a depth representing a permissible range for acceptable state of focus and on parallax computed by a parallax computation section, determines an operation movement ratio for converting an operation amount, that instructs movement of a focusing lens, into a movement amount of the focusing lens by using a function including the operation movement ratio as a dependent variable and an independent variable determined according to the factor and the parallax; and a control section that controls a movement section to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to a movement amount determined based on an operation movement ratio determined by the determination section and the operation amount.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image processing device comprising: an image acquisition section that acquires first and second images, based on first and second image signals that are output from an image pick-up device that includes first and second pixel groups that output the first and second image signals due to respective images being formed by a pupil-divided subject-image that has passed through first and second regions of an imaging lens that includes a focusing lens that is moveable along an optical axis direction; a movement section that moves the focusing lens in the optical axis direction; a parallax computation section that computes parallax indicating a displacement amount between each pixel in the first image that is acquired by the image acquisition section and each respective corresponding pixel in the second image that is acquired by the image acquisition section; a determination section that, based on a factor defining a depth representing a permissible range for an acceptable state of focus and based on the parallax computed by the parallax computation section, determines an operation movement ratio, for converting an operation amount, that instructs movement of the focusing lens, into a movement amount of the focusing lens, by using a function including the operation movement ratio as a dependent variable and an independent variable determined according to the factor and the parallax; a control section that controls the movement section to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to the movement amount determined based on the operation movement ratio determined by the determination section and based on the operation amount; a generation section that generates a first display image based on an image signal that is output from the image pick-up device, and generates a second display image for use in focus verification based on the first and second images; a display section that displays images; and a display controller that performs control to display the first display image, that is generated by the generation section, on the display section, and to display the second display image, that is generated by the generation section, within a display region of the first display image.
2. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the operation movement ratio becomes larger as the depth determined by the factor becomes larger.
3. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein, during an interval in which the parallax exceeds a specific value, the control section further controls the movement section to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to the movement amount determined based on a predetermined value for a maximum value of the operation movement ratio and based on the operation amount.
4. The image processing device of claim 3 , wherein, during an interval in which the parallax is in an undetectable state, the control section controls the movement section to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to the movement amount determined based on a predetermined value as a maximum value of the operation movement ratio and based on the operation amount.
5. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the factor is determined based on at least one item selected from the group consisting of data representing a current position of the focusing lens on the optical axis, an aperture number, a subject distance, a focal point distance and a size of a permissible circle of confusion.
6. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein: the image pick-up device further includes a third pixel group, on which an image of a subject-image that has passed through the imaging lens is formed without being pupil-divided and which outputs a third image signal; and the generation section generates the first display image based on the third image signal that is output from the third pixel group.
7. The image processing device of claim 1 , further comprising: a detection section that detects a contact operation to an operation screen; and an operation amount determination section that determines the operation amount based on the contact operation detected by the detection section during a movement instruction period for instructing movement of the focusing lens.
8. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein: the dependent variable increases as the independent variable increases within a range of absolute values of the parallax being a specific value or lower, with a degree of increase becoming smaller as the independent variable increases.
9. The image processing device of claim 8 , wherein: the dependent variable increases as the factor and the parallax increase within the range of absolute values of the parallax being a specific value or lower; and the degree becomes smaller as the factor and the parallax increase.
10. An image processing device comprising: an image acquisition section that acquires first and second images, based on first and second image signals that are output from an image pick-up device that includes first and second pixel groups that output the first and second image signals due to respective images being formed by a pupil-divided subject-image that has passed through first and second regions of an imaging lens that includes a focusing lens that is moveable along an optical axis direction; a movement section that moves the focusing lens in the optical axis direction; a parallax computation section that computes parallax indicating a displacement amount between each pixel in the first image that is acquired by the image acquisition section and each respective corresponding pixel in the second image that is acquired by the image acquisition section; a determination section that, based on a factor defining a depth representing a permissible range for an acceptable state of focus and based on the parallax computed by the parallax computation section, determines an operation movement ratio, for converting an operation amount, that instructs movement of the focusing lens, into a movement amount of the focusing lens, by using a function including the operation movement ratio as a dependent variable and an independent variable determined according to the factor and the parallax; a control section that controls the movement section to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to the movement amount determined based on the operation movement ratio determined by the determination section and based on the operation amount; a generation section that generates a first display image based on an image signal that is output from the image pick-up device, and generates a second display image for use in focus verification based on the first and second images; a display section that displays images; and a display controller that performs control to inhibit display by the display section of the first display image that is generated by the generation section, and to display on the display section the second display image that is generated by the generation section.
11. An imaging device comprising: the image processing device of claim 1 ; the image pick-up device that includes the first and second pixel groups; and a storage section that stores images that are generated based on image signals that are output from the image pick-up device.
12. An image processing method comprising: acquiring first and second images, based on first and second image signals that are output from an image pick-up device that includes first and second pixel groups that output the first and second image signals due to respective images being formed by a pupil-divided subject-image that has passed through first and second regions of an imaging lens that includes a focusing lens that is moveable along an optical axis direction; computing parallax indicating a displacement amount between each pixel in the acquired first image and each respective corresponding pixel in the acquired second image; determining, based on a factor defining a depth representing a permissible range for an acceptable state of focus and based on the computed parallax, an operation movement ratio for converting an operation amount, that instructs movement of the focusing lens, into a movement amount of the focusing lens, by using a function including the operation movement ratio as a dependent variable and an independent variable determined according to the factor and the parallax; controlling a movement section that moves the focusing lens, to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to the movement amount determined based on the determined operation movement ratio and based on the operation amount; generating a first display image based on an image signal output from the image pick-up device; generating a second display image, for use in focus verification, based on the first and second images; and performing control to display the generated first display image on a display section for displaying images, and to display the generated second display image within a display region of the first display image.
13. An image processing method comprising: acquiring first and second images, based on first and second image signals that are output from an image pick-up device that includes first and second pixel groups that output the first and second image signals due to respective images being formed by a pupil-divided subject-image that has passed through first and second regions of an imaging lens that include a focusing lens that is moveable along an optical axis direction; computing parallax indicating a displacement amount between each pixel in the acquired first image and each respective corresponding pixel in the acquired second image; determining, based on a factor defining a depth representing a permissible range for an acceptable state of focus and based on the computed parallax, an operation movement ratio for converting an operation amount, that instructs movement of the focusing lens, into a movement amount of the focusing lens, by using a function including the operation movement ratio as a dependent variable and an independent variable determined according to the factor and the parallax; controlling a movement section that moves the focusing lens, to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to the movement amount determined based on the determined operation movement ratio and based on the operation amount; generating a first display image based on an image signal output from the image pick-up device; generating a second display image, for use in focus verification, based on the first and second images; and performing control to inhibit display by a display section of the generated first display image, and to display on the display section the generated second display image.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as the image acquisition section, the parallax computation section, the determination section, the control section, the generation section, and the display control section of the image processing device of claim 1 .
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 16, 2015
October 18, 2016
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